High inflation: low default risk AND low equity valuations
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Author(s)
Bhamra, Harjoat
Dorion, Christian
Jeanneret, Alexandre
Weber, Michael
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We develop an asset pricing model with endogenous corporate policies that explains how inflation jointly affects real asset prices and corporate default risk. Our model includes two empirically founded nominal rigidities: fixed nominal debt coupons (sticky leverage) and sticky cash flows. These two frictions result in lower real equity prices and credit spreads when expected inflation rises. A decrease in expected inflation has opposite effects, with even larger magnitudes. In the cross-section, the model predicts that the negative impact of higher expected inflation on real equity values is stronger for low leverage firms. We find empirical support for the model’s predictions.
Date Issued
2023-03-01
Date Acceptance
2021-09-08
Citation
The Review of Financial Studies, 2023, 36 (3), pp.1192-1252
ISSN
0893-9454
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
1192
End Page
1252
Journal / Book Title
The Review of Financial Studies
Volume
36
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
License URL
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-06-06